Platform(s)

Media

System requirements

Input

Game controller, keyboard

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (ソニックアドベンチャー デラックス,Sonikkuadobenchā derakkusu?, lit. "Sonic Adventure Deluxe") is the enhanced port of the Dreamcast video game Sonic Adventure. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube on June 2003 and for the PC on 2003 in Japan and 2004 elsewhere. This version of Sonic Adventure contains several exclusive features alongside with several changes.

Missions

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut features sixty missions spread across the six playable characters, where special tasks must be completed in the game's Adventure Fields and Action Stages.

Unlockable games

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut features many unlockable games previously available on the Game Gear. If the start button of the second controller is pressed, the game screen will split, and two games will play at the same time. Additionally, Gear-to-Gear cable emulation is present, enabling the games that have two-player modes to be played if both players access the proper options within the game. These games were to be included in the Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure, but were scrapped due to time constraints. A new Game Gear game is unlocked for every 20 Emblems the player gets, up until 100, then every 10 after that, or by completing 20 more of the 60 missions. This is the first time Sonic Drift and Tails' Skypatrol were released in the US and Europe

Changes from the original versions

Note the graphical alteration of Sonic in the DX version compared to that of Sonic Adventure.

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut includes some of the changes made to Sonic Adventure International, however it appears to mostly be based on the first US edition, showing many regressions upon International such as reverting fixed bugs and removing newly-added content. Changes include:

Graphical changes and additions

A screenshot of the level Emerald Coast from the original Sonic Adventure.

The main characters (with the exception of E-102 Gamma) were redesigned with higher polygon counts and shading technology was also implemented for effects such as rippling water (shading effects were not present in the PC version, however). The textures were also redone from scratch, replacing the old cloth-like look with a more lustrous appearance.

The original 60 FPS framerate was restored. Unfortunately, due to hardware limitation, the game frequently skipped frames, usually in an uneven pattern (causing noticeable choppiness), even in places where few objects were displayed, and/or where the Dreamcast version did not slow down (however, some effects that caused slowdown before do not affect the framerate in the GameCube version). Cutscenes ran at a lower framerate, but this seemed to have been intended, for cinematic purposes.

Some sound effects, such as when collecting rings and emblems, were lower in pitch, while the losing rings sound effect was higher in pitch.

A Camera option was added to the pause menu, allowing the user to select either the original Auto Camera or the newly added Free Camera, which is usually closer to the character. In Auto Camera mode, the C-Stick can be used to get a first person view of the environment. In Free Camera mode, it rotates the camera around the player.

Changes (mostly minor) were made within the levels themselves in an effort to help solve some of the game's problems concerning collision detection. However, many glitches were not fixed, and some new ones were actually added. Some have to do with inconsistency in the port (for example, some windows still reflect the original Dreamcast graphics).

The Dreamcast's lighting system was completely replaced for the GameCube version; each stage is lit very differently compared to its Dreamcast counterpart, including the character lighting and stage fog.

The HUD was re-positioned slightly and made bigger in the GameCube version. However, this also made the HUD somewhat blurred.

The "Now Saving" icon that appears in the upper right corner of the screen doubles as a progress bar that gradually fills as the save/load progresses in the Dreamcast version. In the GameCube version, the text is located in the bottom-right or top-right corner of the screen, in a generic white font. It also does not double as a progress bar. The GameCube version also includes a "Now Loading" variant.

Transparency issues for the Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Big life box icons were fixed in the Gamecube version.

The names on the character select wheel are slightly transparent in the Dreamcast version, but are opaque in the Gamecube version.

The original game's textures have slightly lost some quality in this version, with many having more artifacts present than their equivalents in the Dreamcast version.

The aliasing problems that were present in the Dreamcast version have been fixed in the Gamecube version.

Gameplay differences

The Internet connection feature was removed. Very few of the downloadable content from the Dreamcast version, such as the Chao Garden's black market, additional voice packs and holiday-themed modifications, were included in the GameCube port. However, unlike the sequel, most of the online features were not incorporated into the GameCube game and remained exclusive.

Many changes to the Chao System were made, such as more interaction with the Chao, the ability to see their stats, as well as changes to the appearance of the Chao. The Chao Adventure VMU minigame was removed (instead replaced with a Game Boy Advance connection feature). The Chao System was overall very similar to the one in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle..

The ability to skip cutscenes by pushing Start was added.

A map, found on the pause menu while in Adventure Fields, was added. This is especially useful when navigating the Mystic Ruins jungle.

The train used to transport from Station Square to Mystic Ruins is now blue instead of red as in the Dreamcast version.

Some voice effects were changed like when Tails begins to fly or when Amy swings her hammer.

The characters' mouth movements match up with their lines in each respective language. However, this seems to cause more graphical glitches (such as Tails sliding along the ground in Super Sonic's story in English). In Dreamcast versions, the lip-syncing did not match either language.

Loading times are significantly shorter than in the Dreamcast version.

In the opening title sequence, Tails has his mouth open when he flies by the shattering windows. His mouth is closed in the Dreamcast version.

Knuckles' purple eyes are more prominent like in his official artwork.

Amy's boots are more rounded in the front, unlike the Dreamcast version where they were square-tipped.

E-102 Gamma's adventure mode is no longer permanently stuck at night after completing his story.

In both the PC and GameCube versions, Sonic and Amy's eyelids are the same color as their fur unlike the Dreamcast version where they are the same color as their skin.

In the original, their hands were one solid object with lines in them, while in the port, their fingers are separated from each other.

The PC version does not include a variant of the Tiny Chao Garden, and instead has a generic Chao transporter.

Japanese language settings are set as the default in the Japanese region, which was not the case in Sonic Adventure International.

Speed Highway's entrance has different textures:

In the GameCube version, the searchlights are visible from farther distances.

In the "Goin' Down" section, the Dreamcast version included two circles of Rings at the bottom of the section. Those were removed from Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, presumably because it is practically impossible to obtain any of them.

In the Dreamcast version, all background sounds stop after Sonic reaches the bottom. In Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, the sounds keep playing.

The potted plants received a minor visual upgrade for Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut and the lightening is slightly brighter.

Dreamcast (left), Gamecube (right)

Lost World's entrance on the Dreamcast version has more foliage, some of which grew on the walls and ceiling. This was reduced in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, along with the shade of the grass.

The entrance to the next area was changed from a square entrance to a rounded arch in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.

Most of the area's textures are slightly different.

The walls of the rivulet are thicker in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.

In the entrance to the Snake Room, the fog color was changed from a blinding white in the Dreamcast version to a more subdued dark gray in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.

The textures are slightly different, especially on the central circular structure. It is slightly more colorful in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.

The Chaos Emeralds found during in some of Sonic and Tails' Action Stages have shining effects in the Dreamcast version. This was removed in the Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut port.

The Hotel District Entrance from the Central District has several changes:

Different textures can be seen on the building.

It is possible to see a bit further into the garage in the original version compared to this port.

The reflections on the doors are differently arranged, but they depict the original Dreamcast colors, even on the GameCube version.

The road was changed from dark blue to more realistic gray asphalt. Similarly, the yellowish sidewalk was changed to a duller gray.

Sonic Adventure

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

The Casino District has several differences in comparison to the Dreamcast version:

The walkway is more transparent in the original version, and has more arch supports.

The sign on the burger shop (the colorful building near the back) was changed in this version.

The reflections on the hotel doors (back) are darker in the this version.

Sonic Adventure

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

In the Dreamcast version, the player could remove the overlay from the Pause screen by holding and . This was removed in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.

Station Square was overhauled for the GameCube version. Most of the buildings and features were redesigned or retextured, and were revamped with a much higher quality than the other areas of the game.

City Hall had a major redesign; its clock tower from the original version was replaced with a copy of the building's lower segment in this version.

The buildings around City Hall were also given redesigns.

Sonic Adventure

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

Chao Race

In this version, the Chao Race lobby is just a redesigned menu. Instead of an "Entry" button, this version has a walkway leading to some kind of monitor. The numbers on the walls were a bit more decorated and the arrows leading to each one were removed.

The menus themselves were redesigned further in this version.

The music for the Chao Race is different in this version. The Dreamcast version plays "Letz Get the Party Started"- the same track that plays in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle's Chao World lobby. The enhanced version plays a completely different, calmer track, which was also used on Sonic Adventure 2: Battle's Chao Race menu.

Reception

Reviews were generally less positive than those of its Dreamcast predecessor, scoring 57/100 from Metacritic based on 27 reviews[1] and 64.43% from GameRankings based on 49 reviews[2] for the GameCube version and the latter also scored the PC version 61.75% based on four reviews.[3]

The game's camera system, collision detection, framerate issues, dialogue and voice-acting of the game were the main points of criticism. IGN, who gave a 5/10, said that the game is "a very sloppy port of a game that has long been undeserving of its high praise".[4] GameSpot, who gave a 5.7/10, also noted those issues and summarized their review that "you're better off sticking with [the Dreamcast version] and not picking up the GameCube version of the game".[5]

Trivia

The model used to represent the unlockable Metal Sonic in Trial Mode is not the same model featured in Eggman's lab, which is considerably larger than the player models. Instead, a new model based on Metal Sonic's appearance in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle was used. Unlike Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Metal Sonic is a reskin of Sonic, and therefore plays identically to him, including the susceptibility to drowning. Metal Sonic's only unique feature, besides the stock voice clips reused from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, is the change from running to flying when his acceleration increases. At top speed however, he strangely reverts to running the same way as Sonic does.

The increased polycount is not applied to any characters beyond the main playable characters, Tikal and Eggman, causing a noticeably gap in quality between the player characters and field NPCs. Strangely, E-102 Gamma and the rest of the E-series robots did not receive updated models or textures.

In the Mission Mode of Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, the player occasionally has to collect gold Sonic medals. Interestingly, these are the same gold Sonic medals from Sonic R.

The final picture after each character's ending credits still reflects their Dreamcast designs, due to said pictures being originally created using the Dreamcast models.

Cream also makes cameo appearances in the same manner in the digital port of Sonic Adventure even without having the Sonic Adventure DX DLC installed.

In Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, when Amy is captured by Zero, she has her Dreamcast version design rather than her new design.